The keeping of domestic pets, and particularly cats, requires the use of a suitable litter box or litter container to maintain a sanitary condition in the home. Conventional litter boxes generally use of litter of clay particles or dried vegetation and have the advantage of being a natural attractant for animals to eliminate body waste. Litter boxes, however, have the disadvantage of producing unpleasant odors when the litter is not changed on a routine basis. Spent litter and animal waste in the litter further creates health hazards for the occupants of the house. The chore of routine changing a litter box is undesirable, and contributes to the reluctance of pet owners to frequently change the litter. The handling of used litter also creates a potential health risk as well as the unpleasant nature of the chore.
The problem of handling used litter has resulted in the development of numerous devices which contain the used litter and reduce the need to handle the spent litter and animal waste. One example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,288. A continuous litter cleaning device is disclosed which includes a storage bin for fresh litter and a litter box. The bottom of the litter box is formed from a conveyor belt to carry spent litter to the collection tray positioned below the litter box. The conveyor is operated by a ratchet and gear arrangement actuated by the weight of the animal on a treadle. During entry and exit of the animal from the litter box, the treadle is actuated to operate the conveyor belt and feed the spent litter and animal waste to the collection tray.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,735 discloses an electrically operated litter cleaning system. The apparatus includes a litter containment portion and a rake assembly rotating on a centrally located spindle. As the spindle rotates the rake assembly, solids waste from the litter are raked outwardly toward the collection container. Liquid waste is disposed of through a drain opening in the litter containment portion which directs the liquid to the collection container.
Another example of animal litter devices is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,817. This device includes a fresh litter supply and litter tray having a longitudinal aperture. A collection bowl is positioned below the aperture to collect the waste. A spring operated mechanism actuated by the weight of the animal tips and rotates the collection bowl to disperse the waste in the litter.
Still another example of litter containment devices is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,622. The litter device includes a first compartment for fresh litter and a second compartment for receiving and storing spent litter. The compartments are arranged in the device such that when tilted, the spent litter pours into the second compartment and fresh litter is simultaneously poured into the litter tray area.
The above-noted devices do not provide sufficient odor control and generally require some handling of the used litter. There is still a need for a litter device that is self cleaning and eliminates the need to handle used litter. The present invention is accordingly directed to a litter maintenance apparatus which includes a supply of fresh litter and a device to feed the bed of fresh litter to the litter tray. The device further includes a collection receptacle and a mechanism to wash the used litter and animal waste to a sewage disposal system.